Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-11-08
THE GRAND JURY REPORT.


county, to put it very mildly, is disap-
pointing. While no one is oblivious to
the difficulties under which the Jury la
bored, yet very much more of yigor was
expected in their report upon pubic
abuses 1t is incomprehensible, for in
stance, that the jury should have been
unable to say anything more definite than
this concerning the violation of the lot
terry law: I'VE are morally certain that
lottery tickets are sold in certain cigar
stores and upon the streets, yet the police
say: OF my own knowledge l know moth
ing of such things existing"
How was it that with this moral convie
ton the jurors were unable to report with
certainty and legal precision? While
they might not indict for the violation, it
was within their province to have pointed
out so distinctly where the offenses exist,
that the proper officials could no longer
ignore their duty. What everyone else in
the city knows the jurors ought to have
been able to reduce to a legal certainty.
The jury can hardly excuse itself for
casting suspicion upon all the deputies
OF the Clerks office, when they them
selves say not all are blameworthy.
1t advises the Clerk to remove any of
his subordinates upon whom suspicion
rests of tampering with jury-lists and
boxes; but obviously this is shifting re-
sponsibility, and might be doing grave in
justice to the innocent. If mere suspicion
attaches, and nothing more, the Grand
Jury had far better have remained silent.
There is good advice given to the Super
yIsors to exercise more care in making
Jury-listS, and avoid repeating names term
after term upon their lists, but beyond this
vagueness, the generality of which rem
ders the report weak, the suggestions con-
corning jury scandals are without much
force
The jury pronounces the Fire De-
partment to be in demoraiized con-
dition, but most annoyingly fails
to point out where the blame rests: vet it
must have known. In fact the depart
ment has just been undergoing a removal
ting process, and order and authority is
being brought out of confusion, boss-rule
and DISCRIMINATION. If the department
has mot been conducted upon business
principles" it behooved the jury to have
informed the people in what respect; to
have pointed out the specific evils and
have laid the ak of inquisition at the root
of error 1t knows quite as well as any
one can know that for all the friction of
the recent past, the blame is chargeable
wholly to the interference and domination
OF political bossism. Beyond reporting in
ability to find necessary vouchers, the Jury
entirely fails to inform us in what respect
there has been Encouragement or cor
ruption. 1t is rather remarkable that the
jury should find the fremen Intelligent |
and competent"
There are wholesome recommendations |
in the report concerning roads and hos
pitfalls, and official bookkeeping, and in that |
respect. and the review of the care of the |
county property, the report is valuable,
but it is more than weak in its reference
to the police department, as well an unjust.
If the department is corrupt, as the jury
says is reported, it ought to have given
some indication of the seat of the disease
If unable to do so, it should have been
silent, since its mere reference to supposed |
ills in no wise tends to encourage their re-
moyal. So, too, relative to the offense of
gaming and alleged bribery by gamesters,
the jury certainly, with the knowledge it
admits it had, could have "run down.
some small particle of definite, tangible
fact. As whole the report is weak, and
demonstrates the truth of the expression of
the REcoRD-UNIoN when the Jury was Or
it had no detective ability
upon it. and no positive capacity to search
out evils and apply, or indicate the remedies
to be applied.